Christie's budget cuts left N.J. schools unable to provide 'thorough and efficient' education, judge

[Skip_In_Boulder]

Source: NJ.com



TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's deep cuts to state school aid last year left New Jersey's schools unable to provide a "thorough and efficient" education to the state's nearly 1.4 million school children, a Superior Court judge found today.

Judge Peter Doyne, who was appointed as special master in the long-running Abbott vs. Burke school funding case, today issued an opinion that also found the reductions "fell more heavily upon our high risk districts and the children educated within those districts."

"Despite spending levels that meet or exceed virtually every state in the country, and that saw a significant increase in spending levels from 2000 to 2008, our 'at risk' children are now moving further from proficiency," he said.

The Abbott vs. Burke case landed back in court after the Education Law Center, a Newark-based school advocacy group, filed a motion charging that Christie's aid cuts violated the state's school funding formula.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/christies_school_aid_cuts_left.html

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Pushback. This is what we need.

[Tansy_Gold]

1. K&R -- and recommending reading of the comments on the article

My daughter and SIL work in the NJ public schools, so this is of personal interest to me.

The comments on the linked article are good, well worth reading if you've got the time.


Tansy Gold, who doesn't

[roxiejules]

40. Comment from linked article

"This is from GOP Play book. Dems have been paid off to act helpless and let the GOP do the dirty work."

[Kadie]

2. K&R n/t

[Snoutport]

3. hadn't heard about this...very interesting! nt

[liberal N proud]

4. The solution they will propose will be privatizing the school system

I can see it coming.
Starve the public system to the point it can no longer function and then propose that you turn it over to corporation X who is magically prepared to make an efficient "for profit" business out of educating your kids.

This is all laid out in their master plan, break then privatize the nation.

[Skip_In_Boulder]

5. Yep, that is what they are going for

is to privatize everything including our states. And I would say they are already more than halfway there when you consider the amount of prisons and jails that are now private, toll roads and bridges, tax collection, public assistance (run by JP Morgan in at least 26 states) etc, etc.

[studmoose]

14. Much like many of those failed Charter Schools.

Many of the charter schools come in over budget and under performing.

This is what will happen if the public schools are replaced. A bunch of hack facilities will open up.

[freshwest]

24. And for those who can't perform? Boot camp?

[liberal N proud]

25. Identify those who will go fight the wars

[freshwest]

26. Or prison. Or the cemetary. Same end result. Sorry to be so negative.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

41. We spend millions on sending fighter planes to Libya!

[SharksBreath]

6. When will Christie testify for blowing the 400 million dollar grant.

That's what I want to know.

[studmoose]

13. I thought he found a patsy?

After Christie tried to blame Obama for his failure, he tried to blame the teachers union, when that failed, he then blamed his friend Bret Schundler.

Some friend, isn't he. He'll throw anyone under the bus.

I would like Bret Schundler to say what really happened.

[dennis4868]

39. and this is the media's darling?

[Kber]

7. NJ's "dire financial situation" my ass

The state Attorney General's Office argued that the cuts were necessary because of New Jersey's dire financial situation. Doyne acknowledged that, but still found against the state.

"The difficulty in addressing New Jersey's fiscal crisis and its constitutionally mandated obligation to educate our children requires an exquisite balance not easily attained," Doyne wrote. "Something need be done to equitably address these competing imperatives. That answer, though, is beyond the purview of this report. For the limited question posed to the Master, it is clear the State has failed to carry its burden."

Would it be rude to point out that Christie's tax cuts for the wealthiest NJ residents were greater than the amount cut from school budgets? Like WI, he created a "dire financial situation" in order to provide cover for going after the public school system.

[msongs]

8. it's the "Race for the TOP" TM) strategy at work yet again. the top = top of $$ grab pile nt

[Iliyah]

9. Yea

dire for his rich cronies. F the other non-important people who live there. Screw ed-mu-cation b/c what me and my cronies will offer doesn't require it nor any smarts or sense. Welcome to the NEW AND IMPROVED AMERCIA of ME ME ME.

[LynneSin]

23. Yea but they didn't get any of that money because they screwed up the application

else they would have qualified

[Athena66]

18. Not rude in the least

The truth is never rude.

[Sam1]

35. in all reality the truth is always rude - the is why power never wants

to hear it and it takes courage to speak it.

[adigal]

42. Yup - you got it. There is lots of big wealth in NJ

and they are all paying less tax, percentage wise, than they did thirty years ago. Disgusting.

[tcaudilllg]

10. Christy is clearly insane.

In fact, I'm having difficulty seeing the (context independent) difference between him and Gadhafi. Both are immune to fact and insistent on throwing their weight around.

[karynnj]

19. He's my Governor and I loathe him, but he has not threathened to bomb

areas controlled by the Democrats in NJ.

[aquart]

28. I guess you take comfort where you can.

[Ikonoklast]

32. Yet.

[eilen]

46. Perhaps because he doesn't have any. nt

[DemoTex]

11. Schools unable to provide 'thorough and efficient' education?

For the current-day GOP mindset, I would say, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"

[studmoose]

12. CRISTIE - LIVES UP TO URBAN DICTIONARY'S DEFINITION OF A CHRISTIE

CHRIS CHRISTIE..­.

You definitely are the Urban Dictionary­­'s definition of a CHRISTIE

http://christie.urbanup.com/5630754

If you like it, please give it a Thumbs Up!

[Sam1]

38. so does that make Walker a Christie or has Christie been out

Christied by Walker and should now be a Walker.

[glinda]

15. Kick

[sybylla]

16. This could be a remedy for Wisconsin as well

But I don't relish the length of time it will take to get through the courts. Too many lives will be harmed while our youth wait for justice.

Edited to add that we, too, have a constitutional right to an education.

[The Wizard]

17. Il Duce

imposing his will on New Jersey's school children. Does anti bullying legislation cover Mr. Big?

[LisaM]

20. Some great comments.

This one struck me:


"It's not teacher or admin salaries or Pension obligations ( the state hasn't paid in years) it is the outlandish heath care policies that have to go through 3rd party brokers and the unregulated insurance carriers. The next biggest dollar lose is to the private sector vendors that rape school districts for everything from toilet tissue, books ( a new biology textbook runs about $200 per), software site licenses, IT consultants and school reform consultants ( cottage industry as a result of NCLB)."

Everything is contracted out, from bus drivers to toilet paper. This is leading to fraud (no-bid contracts awarded; just look at Detroit and now Seattle), and it's not efficient.

[benld74]

21. Gee whoda thunk it,,,,,????

[ejpoeta]

22. what do they need to provide a decent education for. aren't they just babysitters

anyway? yes that is sarcasm. so sick of these jerks!

[shanti2]

27. I went to NJ schools in Pennsauken

from third grade till I graduated from high school and back in
the 60's the schools were the best.  It makes me sad to see
the GOP Governors destroying education in their states.

[SouthernLiberal]

29. A long-standing problem in NJ

I lived in NJ for more than 30 years. I attended public school from seventh grade through high school. Underfunding of the public schools was a problem for all that time.

Section IV of the state constitution begins:

"The Legislature shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of free public schools for the instruction of all the children in the State between the ages of five and eighteen years."

That has been in the constitution since 1947 when the document was adopted. In all that time, the legislature has never once done what the constitution requires.

[Quantess]

30. Well, what are those lazy freeloading kids going to do

when they can't suck the public taxpayers' teat anymore?

I know, let's repeal child labor laws and put them to work! Let's do that next.

[JohnnyRingo]

31. Wealthy people don't use public schools, and they don't like paying for our kids.

Motive/agenda in one sentence.

High earners pay more into Social Security than they can ever hope to recover, and they don't like sharing in funding our retirement.

Motive/agenda.

Rich people expand profit margins by polluting, and they don't care if we live or die.

I think this sums up nicely the very backbone of the Republican party agenda.

[Blue_Tires]

48. +1

[craigmatic]

33. This is what cristie wants- an end to public education and teacher unions.

They don't care about children. Reagan wanted ketchup classified as a vegitable in public schools and people ae still surprised that republicans don't care about these kids. They're just not bothering to mask any of this shit any more.

[lonestarnot]

34. Take that you pig!

[Frisbee]

36. I'm sure every pol and corporate executives little darlings...

are going to the very best private schools money can buy, so they too will learn to be effective overlords of the poorly educated working class.

[dennis4868]

37. I wish DUers who have a hateful passion for Obama would....

put it aside and go after the real enemies of the state....we have so many political enemies - repub governors, repubs in congress, the media, yet so many here focus their hate and fight against Obama www.whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com

[Rosa Luxemburg]

43. Fighter planes for Libya!

Millions of dollars go up in smoke

[papa3times]

44. no education is good

That's what these f---ers want! They want to destroy education in this country. If you can't afford to send your kids to a good private school than f--- you! They don't give a shit! Keep people stupid and ignorant it is better for them. Let people scrape by and make enough so they can watch football and nascar on their flatscreens and that will keep enough of them in line so they can continue to exploit them with low wage shitty jobs! Then as stated earlier on this thread privatize, privatize, privatize! Privatize everything from public schools to social security. If any money is lost put it on the taxpayer, privatize profit and socialize risk!!!

[Buddha2B]

45. A Republican placing the rich over the poor?

say it isn't so!!!

:)

[Lefta Dissenter]

47. Hey, wait for us!!!

We're behind the eight ball here in the race to the bottom!

Wisconsin State Senate "Education Committee" holding public hearings today on three bills affecting public education, including SB22, which allows unlimited funds to be directed from public schools, to charter schools, AND removing the restrictions on virtual schools, and removing residency requirements and certification requirements for charter school teachers!

Yeay! So our tax dollars can go to private corporations to put classes online instead of paying for actual, trained teachers to interact directly with our children.

These people suck, that's all I can say right now - though I guess I should try to be more articulate when I go testify at the public hearing.

[Overseas]

49. More clear evidence of GOP cruelty.

Destructive privatization for the poorest among us.

Bonus dollars for the ultra-rich.

[RMBEBBP]

50. Rec!

REPUBLICANI QUANDAM SOCIETATEM IGNORANTIOREM IN TOTO DESIDERARE VIDENTUR SINE DUBIO
The Republicans certainly seem to yearn for a more ignorant society as a whole.

CONATUS EORUM CONTRA PAEDAGOGIAM SCHOLASQUE SIC CONSTANT
Their attacks against education and schools thus makes sense.

O TEMPORA, O MORES, UT CICERO OLIM DIXIT
Oh what shameful times, what shameful values, as Cicero once said!

UTIQUE BONA SCRIPTAST

VALE